How to sell Privately

[AnD3rew]

Hi all

been a long time since I have sold a car privately. I have decided I can’t wait any longer for the new Defender and the D5 has gotten a bit expensive for the moment. I am not doing remote touring currently and probably won’t again for 5-6 years until I can semi retire. So I am filling the gap with a Pajero Sport. I know I know, but for a vehicle with some reasonable off road ability and some nice comfort and fruit you can’t really get better value for money.

the upshot is that my much loved and much modified 2009 D3 will be up for sale. I will Post it here but I have to say I haven’t had much luck selling stuff through AULRO so I will persue other opportunities as well. I will need to find the right buyer to get reasonable money, it’s not pristine but it has all the fruit you could ever want I know I won’t get my money back on that but hoping the right buyer will part with a few k more to get it all.

choices as I see it are
carsales.com.au
gumtree
ebay
Just Cars
what have you guys found to be lowest in scammers and highest in buyers?

any other tips?

[Chops]

I sold my Defender through Car Sales.
Not too much mucking around, the few people I dealt with were ok to deal with, and it didn't actually take long to sell it,,, a couple of weeks if I recall correctly.
There was one guy who was, from what I can tell, told to grab it by the report guy,, but balked at the price,,,, he lost.

I would think Just Cars would be similar (??), and could even be a tad better in the "interests" type buyers maybe.

[IndusD4]

I just has my D4 up for sale on carsales. As a selling tool I think it is fine however to me it seems the redbook values are high. I didn't start getting interest until I was 15% under the suggested resell value.

Ron

[Eevo]

ive used both carsales and gumtree in the past.

carsales bring better clientele but ive had more success with gumtree

[Zeros]

Carsales is easy and effective and comes across as more professional than gumtree. ...but I might consider gumtree depending on price bracket...lower for gumtree.

Out if intrest how many km’s has your D4 done and what’s your price bracket?

[AnD3rew]

Carsales is easy and effective and comes across as more professional than gumtree. ...but I might consider gumtree depending on price bracket...lower for gumtree.

Out if intrest how many km’s has your D4 done and what’s your price bracket?

It’s a D3, very last of them with the colour coded flares etc. it’s an SE and I’m hoping for high 20s I’ll have to check the actual number, it’s around 110,000 ks maybe a little over. Winch Bar, winch, traxide dual batteries with internal and external Anderson plugs. Pioneer platform rack, hella rally spotties. llams, long range tanks cargo barrier.

[Zeros]

It’s a D3, very last of them with the colour coded flares etc. it’s an SE and I’m hoping for high 20s I’ll have to check the actual number, it’s around 110,000 ks maybe a little over. Winch Bar, winch, tracked dual batteries with internal and external Anderson plugs. Pioneer platform rack, hella rally spotties. llams.

Only 110,000kms, why sell??

[scarry]

I recently sold a couple of work vans.

The Mitsy sold straight away,in two days.I put it in carsales only.Not many around,so a sort after vehicle for those that want one,and it was on LPG.I priced it similar to others.In fact listed it Friday,guy came with cash Saturday.

The HI Ace,also dual fuel,i priced similar to others on carsales,listed on carsales,but not much interest after a month.Only a scammer from Nigeria.....
I then listed on gumtree as well,lots of offers way below what it was worth,and they persisted when i knocked them back.
Eventually i ignored the silly offers,some were from interstate.

I eventually let it go for about 2K less than had it listed for,which was also less than any other same age and condition on the two sites.

It seems price is what it is all about.

Don't know how you will go with the D3.
You may have to price it lower than what others are on the sites to move it.
I doubt it is a sort after vehicle,which makes it difficult to know how to advertise it.
Although you just never know who maybe looking for one.

I have sold LR's before and found them difficult to move on.

[AnD3rew]

Only 110,000kms, why sell??

Because it’s now costing more in maintenance and insurance etc, it’s still mostly reliable but it definitely needs more maintenance. It also has no rear cameras or sensors and it’s less easy for my wife and kids to park and use around town. The Pajero Sport has fixed price annual serving 5 year warranty 360 degree cameras, radar cruise control cross traffic and side traffic warnings etc etc etc.

its a good compromise for the next few years until the new defender gets on the market and its first update to fix the bugs.

[Mick_Marsh]

I sold a car on carsales, once. (Should never have sold it.)
Had lots of people on oil rigs want to buy it. Had lots of people want to part exchange with whatever they had. And heaps and heaps of lowballers. Looking at facebook, it looks as thought they're there as well. Wouldn't surprise me if they're everywhere.

Ignore the oil rig people. Ignore the lowballers. Tell the part exchangers you just want to sell, not trade.
You will get genuine buyers.

I'd be putting it up on carsales first.

Oh, will you part exchange with a Camry? I reckon it must be worth $40,000. At least. It's really good. It left a lasting impression on Digger and Bytemark.

Oh, if you buy it outright, I'll knock two zeros off the price. Or maybe three zeros.

[ATH]

I've sold 4 cars, 1 boat and a caravan on carsales and generally they were a touch above the gumnutters. Try "Will you swap it for my 3ltr Nissan and boat"? when I advertised the Puma a year ago. Or those who offer a real low price and want you to ship it somewhere for them to "assess".......
Then there's the weirdos who came up and peeped around the van to have a look but wouldn't knock on the door. I used to play back the security each morning and see them.
But on both sites I've had better success than on here where the real loonies reside...... they don't drive LRs for nothing. :)
Good luck.
AlanH.

[DiscoJeffster]

I recently moved a Magna and used Slumtree. The best (eg most ridiculous) offer was the guy who offered me his unlicensed and partially wrecked Magna plus cash to take mine off his hands. Did he not realise I was more than happy to get it out my life, let alone add a wrecked one back into my life? I swear people need to limit their drug intake

[Mick_Marsh]

When I advertised the car I should never have sold on carsales, I had plenty of lowballers. One particular lowballer make an offer. I did not reply to lowballers as a rule but this one kept sending me messages asking why I hadn't replied. I sent him a message suggesting when he made a serious offer, I would be happy to negotiate.

Yep, what I learned was people like to negotiate. Make sure you add a little extra onto the advertised price for negotiation. I think I whacked 20% on but I reckon most would expect 10%. People would send me an email telling me the price was too high. I replied that I agreed with them and said it was the negotiable price and told them what the non negotiable price was. I had a standard response of information about the vehicle which I sent to everyone who inquired about the vehicle. If someone asked a question that wasn't on the standard response, I'd add that answer to it.

I had hundreds of inquiries. Three people inspected the vehicle, two were serious, one was a time waster. One of the serious people had to get permission from his wife (he didn't get it). The other serious person bought it.

All up, as long as I had control of who came to inspect the vehicle and when, it was a good (but sad) experience.

I should never have sold it.

[3toes]

Have you checked what a specialist used 4x4 dealer will give you as a cash purchase? If the price is right can save a lot of hassle with adds and waiting around for people who do not show.

[grey_ghost]

So Mick_Marsh - what was it that you sold..? [bawl]

[chuck]

I recently did the same thing, bought a new Jeep while waiting for the new Defender.

The Jeep was literally half the price of a new similarly equipped D5

I have sold a few Landrovers on CarPoint, what I have found to work;

Include all of the extras and indicate a price that these would cost to fit.

Stress the service history.

Sell with roadworthy & offer the buyer the choice of RWC provider if practical.

Let the purchaser talk to your mechanic.

If it has money owing be open & honest & tell the purchaser they can payout money owed & provide them with details.

Last one I sold I took them on test drive thru Mt Disappointment State Forest which allowed me to demonstrate vehicles qualities - think this is what sold it.

Cheers

[SeanC]

I've sold 4 cars, 1 boat and a caravan on carsales and generally they were a touch above the gumnutters. Try "Will you swap it for my 3ltr Nissan and boat"? when I advertised the Puma a year ago. Or those who offer a real low price and want you to ship it somewhere for them to "assess".......
Then there's the weirdos who came up and peeped around the van to have a look but wouldn't knock on the door. I used to play back the security each morning and see them.
But on both sites I've had better success than on here where the real loonies reside...... they don't drive LRs for nothing. :)
Good luck.
AlanH.

Will you swap for 3 magic beans....????

[Dfornow]

Just a heads up for selling on public space with "for sale" on a vehicle. I saw an official looking envelope under a windscreen on a vehicle parked on the street nearby. Checked, and it was for a lot of $$$ for "no road worthy certificate". (Queensland Police)
Another way of controlling felons?

[Mick_Marsh]

Just a heads up for selling on public space with "for sale" on a vehicle. I saw an official looking envelope under a windscreen on a vehicle parked on the street nearby. Checked, and it was for a lot of $$$ for "no road worthy certificate". (Queensland Police)
Another way of controlling felons?
That is a Queensland thing. I'm told, in Queensland, registered cars must have a valid roadworthy before you can advertise them for sale.

[IndusD4]

Don’t put a price on the for sale sign as it appears to attract the wrong attention. Mine got keyed on 2 doors when advertised with a 30k price tag.

[Drano]

That is a Queensland thing. I'm told, in Queensland, registered cars must have a valid roadworthy before you can advertise them for sale.

Yes, if you leave the vehicle that's up for sale on the side of the road in Qld, you need to display a roadworthy in the window. Even driving around with a 'for sale' or 'interested?' sign in the window is illegal without the roady displayed!

If you leave it on the council land (even with the roadworthy), you could get a ticket from the council for parking there.. and attract vandals, as was pointed out.

Selling without a roadworthy (basically, selling it unregistered) from your home is fine - you can leave it up to the buyer to get one (e.g. get a mobile RWC unit to your house on sale, to keep rego) or they can drive it home on a permit, if it's unreg and driveable.

I've found selling from home is fine, as long as you only give out your address when a potential buyer is heading over, and you hang on to their details for your ref, if there's any trouble down the track. Otherwise, you can offer to meet them at a local shopping centre, size them up there.. and if they're OK, do the deal at home.

I've sold dozens of vehicles online, here's what I found:

Carsales is good for higher-priced units, and has a better quality look for the website.. but you pay a fair bit upfront to list - although the listing doesn't expire.

Gumtree is free to list, and really good for vehicles up to a few grand, but can also take higher prices too.. with a Paypal paying option now, so you don't have to accept cash, or buyers don't have to bring cash (there are Paypal fees) - you just have to keep renewing your ad every few weeks, and do it without accidentally paying for bells and whistles. I've found the occasional low-baller.. and generous Nigerian oil rig worker.

eBay charges, just to list the car for auction (and even more with a reserve!) - although if you don't care how much you want for the vehicle, you can start it at a low price and whip up some interest.

Facebook is a new option - free to list but I've found constant "is this available?" messages (if it wasn't I'd have taken it down!) and lots and lots of low-ballers.

Trading Post online, plus newspaper sites Drive and carsguide are still out there, but I don't use them at all.

My 2 cents anyway

[Phideaux]

I've read this thread and no-one's mentioned scammers much. '419' refers to the clause in the Nigerian legislation which forbids computer fraud. 419 is very big business in Nigeria - theoretically forbidden but in practice, enabled.
The one I encountered was "I'd like to buy your car, sight unseen, payment via PayPal". There's updated and better scams now.

Have a cruise over scamwatch websites to ensure you're not caught out.

I used Drive.com (useless) and carsales (did eventually sell, car 1) but the most interest I got was from 'illegally parking' (car 2). Sold car 2 the day I got a ticket but I got more interest in that week than I did from the websites, scammers excepted.

Meeting at a supermarket carpark requires security precautions. One friend (who was ill with cancer and needed the money for treatment) got left standing there - the guy just snatched the keys and drove off, leaving him over 100km from home. Always get the licence details from any test-driver - worthwhile sitting in the back seat. A quick phone-photo of the licence and the driver sorts that out.

Car 2 - just 'un-parking it from the roadside' - I drove it around the block and then said, "there, you drive," and he said, "No need - I've felt the car and seen how you drive. Will you accept ($500 less than my sticker)?"

If I was selling my LR, particularly to an LR virgin, I'd drive it myself till the diesel warmed up and there's an embankment nearby that looks more intimidating than it is, just drive over that.

Buying a car, I look in the boot first (for rust) then under the bonnet (for repaired accident damage, painted rubber over wrinkled metal, etc). If your car passes these tests, you can reassure a buyer by sharing them. Service history is huge to an informed buyer.

Final tip - negotiations over ("as a private seller, no guarantees, but I think you'll like it") and their money in your bank, hand over those unique spares (useless to you, valuable to them) as a bonus; adds to the buyer feel-good.

Cheers.

[Bigbjorn]

That is a Queensland thing. I'm told, in Queensland, registered cars must have a valid roadworthy before you can advertise them for sale.

You are correct, Mick. Registered cars must have a current Safety Certificate to be offered for sale in Qld. If you offer a car for sale "unregistered, no RWC" and it is still registered you can be in trouble if someone in authority notices. It has to be deregistered (plates handed in) to be sold that way.

Another catch for those not in the know is parking a car on a public road for purposes of display for sale is a no-no. In Brisbane City Council area if a council officer notices or someone complains you get a decent fine from council and if no Safety Certificate blue page displayed they notify TMR who come out and issue a further fine.

[Bigbjorn]

Just a heads up for selling on public space with "for sale" on a vehicle. I saw an official looking envelope under a windscreen on a vehicle parked on the street nearby. Checked, and it was for a lot of $$$ for "no road worthy certificate". (Queensland Police)
Another way of controlling felons?

One of the measures put in place to limit the activities of unlicensed dealers (known to the trade as "fleas") The depts. had been imposing more and more regulation on the legitimate industry and the Motor Trades Association lobbied for the guv to give some attention to the unlicensed flea dealers. Computerised records and the need to provide an address via rent receipt or rates notice helped the inspectors immensely. One guy near me who had been fleaing for probably 20 years got smart and was buying at auctions and putting them in his name, wife's name, and those of his three children including an 8 year old girl. Surname and address searches brought him undone. Transport coppers had a tilt tray pick up a car he had on the footpath for sale and put it over the pits. Got a fine for display for purposes of sale and was told his car was very unroadworthy and he could go to Darra and pick it up but not to be driven until a long list of repairs were completed. The guy who gave him the shinky RWC got busted as well and lost his inspection licence.